Separable and adjustable screen.



S. S. @COKE & P. NOBLITT.

SEPARABLB AND ADJUSTABLE SCREEN.

APLIGATION FILED APB..4,1910.

Patented May 23, 1911.

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PSJSHGG. My 23, 19111 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

s. sE COOKE O E. N'OOLIIT.

SBPABABLE AND ADJUSTABLE SCREEN.

APPLIOATION FILED APB.4.IO1O.

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SEUBEL S. COOKE .AND FRANK NOBLITT, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA.

SEPARABLE AND ADJUSTABLE SCREEN.

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Specieatiou of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23,1911.

Application filed April 4, 1910. Serial No. 553,312.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that we, SHUBEL S. COOKE and F RANK NoBLrr'r, bothresiding in the city of Richmond, in the county of lNayne, and in theState certain new and useful Improvements in Separable and AdjustableScreens, of which the following is a. full, clear, and accuratespecification and exposition, beingsuch as will enable others to makeand use the same with exactitude.

Our invention is intended to be used in connection with moving pictureswhere the pictures are projected upon a screen. The screen usuallyemployed for this purpose is non-reflective,V that is the surfaceusually being dead white or of some other lequally light-absorbentcharacter, the result being that the pictures shown thereon are not'asclear and as distinctas they should be.

The object of our invention, broadly speaking, is to provide a screencomposed of va plurality of sections adapted to be rigidly connectedtogether, having means whereby the screen may be adjusted as to verticalinclination; to provide a screen which will be strong and durable inconstruction, easily :operated and controlled, not easily damaged orrendered inoperative, and which can be manufactured and sold at acomparatively v low price.

Another object is to provide a. screen for exhibiting moving pictures orthe like, in which a maximum of ethciency is obtained with a minimum ofexpense, and at the same time providing a screen which may be easilypacked into a small compass ofspace, transported at a minimum ofexpense, and set up in position with a minimum o f labor and 40 withoutdamage to the building in which it is contained.

Other objects and particular advantages of the invention will bebrought-out and made apparent in the course of the followingspecification taken in connection( with the accompanying draw-ingsforming a part thereof. l One manner for carrying out our invention in apractical manner and that whichin.

practice we have determined to be the most practical, is shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which-- `Figure l isa face View showing one ofour screens complete and inoperative position, portions being Ashown asbroken away of Indiana, have invented in order to show the constructionof the screen proper. Fig. 2 is a face view of a plurali-ty of panelsdisconnected and stripped of the other parts of our invention. Fig. 3 isa rear elevation of the assembled panels, and showing the means forconnecting them together in operative position. Fig. 4t is an edge viewof the screen in operative position. `Fig. 5 is a detail perspectiveView of one of the corners showing the manner of clamping the panelstogether at the ends. Fig. 6 is a detail view showing an end portion ofone of the intermediate clamps. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view of the backof portions of the panels, showing another, or auX- iliary, manner ofclamping the sections together. And Fig. 8 is a detail View showing oneof the last named clamps in elevation.

Similar reference characters denote like parts throughout the severalviews.

In order that the construction, operation,

and the advantages of our invention may be fully understood, we will nowtake up a detail description thereof in which we will set forth the sameas briefly and as comprehensively as we may. In this instance we providethree panels A, B and C, although a greater or a less number of panelsmay be provided. as required or found desirable. In

practice we propose to make said panels equal in size the same beingformed preferably of matched lumber, tongue and grooved together, theseveral panels also being tongue and grooved together to form anintegral construction, the panels also being interchangeable. i

The several boards forming cach of the panels are retained in positionby a plu rality of cleats a, a', a,' ZJ, 25",' and c, c, e,respectively.

Characters a', w, y, y, e, e', denote cach a pair of angle clips,one-half of cach of said clips being secured on the face vof the endportion of said cleats, and the two members of each clip are adapted tobe drawn tightlytogether, or toward each other, by bolts ful, .ac/2, g3,y, 2&5, and e, respectively, allv substantially as indicated in Figs. 3,7 and 8.

The upper and the lower edges of the panelsv are adapted to bedetachably secured together as follows: `Numeral l de notes the upperchannel iron, and numeral 2 denotes the lowerchannel iron. The twochannel irons are: identical with/each other fut they are opp'ositelydisposed with relation to each otheil: `The upper edges of all of thepanels are to be inserted in channel iron l, and the lower edges of allof the panels are to be inserted in channel iron 2. The ends of each ofsaid channel irons are closed each by a web T formed integral therewith.Formed horizontally through each of said webs or ends T is a threadedaperture to receive the respective set-screws 3, il, 5 and 6, by whichthe ends of the panels may be clamped together.

Numerals 7 `and 8 denote auxiliary clamps, having their ends turned atright-angles to their body portion in order to engage over the outeredges of the panels, with set-screws 9, 10, ll and l2 threaded into theends of the respective clamps 7 and 8 to engage the edges of the panels,as indicated in Fig. 6. Said bars or auxiliary clamps are slidingly anddetachably connected to each of the sections A, B, and C by screws 13,lll, 15 and 16, 17, 1S', respectively, as shown in Fig. 3. There are'slots in said bars or clamps 7 and 8 through which said screws areinserted into the backs of said 'sections to allow the sections to beclamped together.

Letters D, E, F and G denote the -fourv members of the frame whichsurrounds the assembled panels A, B and C, in order to give an artisticappearance to the screen. The corners of said frame are secured togetherby the clamps H, one at each corner at the back of the frame, as in Fig.3, said clamps H being substantially the same as that shown in Fig. 8.The frame may be secured to the panels by a plurality of screws l, shownin Fig. l, which screws pass through the vframe and enter the holes J inthe panels, the holes being shown in Fig. 2. The screen thus framed isto be suspended from the ceiling as from the -joist K, and

extends down to near theylloor L. Secured on the back of each panel isthe plate 20 having a horizontally disposed eye in the upper edgethereof. Numeral 2l denotes extensible arms, one for each of said plates20, said arms each having a horizontal portion which tits in the eye ofthe respective lplateQO, the upper ends of said arms being secured tothe joist l by bolts '1 9 or other-` wise. By reason of the extensiblearms 2l the height of the screen may be adjusted, and the connectionofthe arms 2l with the plates 20 permits the screen to be placed inposition or removed. without removing screws or bolts, or otherwisechanging the parts from operative position.

Secured to the center of the member E of the frame and extending belowthe lower edge thereof is a nut 22. Operating through said nut is thethreaded shaft 225, which is provided with a crank 2st by which theshaft is revolved. Said .shaft may be supported by the bracket 25 whichin this instance is secured to the floor L.

One of the most essential features of our present invention is thesurfacing of the screen, which we will now describe. The face of thepanels, or of the assembled panels, are to be covered with -a veneer Rof thin 4vand smooth material, and finally the veneer is to be given afacing ofialuminum or other suitable Lnaterial S, which is preferablyapplied in a liquid form and allowed to dry. The material S should besuch, when dry,as to act as a reflecting surface for turni ing back therays of light and thereby causing the picture which may be projectedthereon to appear more plain, distinct,- and clear than would otherwisebe the case.

From the above it will be manifest that the device may be packed in asmall space, maybe taken into a buildingA through a comparatively smallopening and there assembled. The screen when assembled will be suspendedclear of the floor, except for the adjusting means above referred to,allowing for the screen to be swung to attain a desired angle. By meansofthe crank 24 the angle of inclination may be adjusted as desired andretained at the point desired with precision. I

The surfacing of the screen with a smooth, clear, polished or reflectivesurfaceincreases the efliciency of the resultant product, the tipping ofthe screen by means of the crank 24:, or otherwise, increases theefficiency even beyond that of the surfacing alone.

We desire that it be understood that the details of construction hereindescribed may be modified in various ways without thereby departing fromthe principles of our invention.

Having now fully shown and described our invention what we claim anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is"d i Aseparable and adjustable screen comprising in combination a plurality ofcorrespending panels, angle-clips having the inem bers thereof connectedby bolts for drawing the panels together and holding them in properrelation to each other, a channel iron i dctachably securing the panelstogether' at the top, a channel iron detachably securing the panelstogether at the bottom, the ends of said panels being ittcd in saidchannel irons, the ends of said channel irons being closed and each ofthe closed ends having a setserew threaded therein for clamping the endsof the panels together, a frame surronndincall of the panels, hangersfor suspending the screen from a ceiling, cach of said hangers includingan extensible arm whereby the height of the screen may be varied afterit has been suspended, in position, means for movine the lower edge',yof the screen forward and backward and for esame? a retaining it in theadjusted position, veneei l the presence of ing covering the face of al1of said panels, Api'il 20nd 1910. and a reflecting material disposedover the SHUBEL S. UOKE. veneerug, all. substantially as shown and FRANKNBLTT. 5 described. 'Witnessesz In testimony whereof We have hereuntoGEORGE@ BALLINGER, subscribed our nameskto this specification in R EHANDLE.

two subscijbing witnesses,

